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James Simpson (R01-11) to Diana Miguel-Lava on Saturday 7th September 2024 in Cascais, Portugal, their son Isaac was born in September 2023.

The following OFs were present Charles Simpson (K65-72) Henry Simpson (K74-84) Lucy Simpson (P01-11) Will Simpson (G03-18) Dan O’Leary (R00-09) Connor O’Leary (R02-11) Ed Barker (S06-11) Paul Boatman (S06-11) Will (R10-11) and Olivia (nee Castle M06-11) Pitcher.

Following the death of this brother Gordon Gibbons (R66-71) we have realised that his brother Ian died back in 2015.  He passed away suddenly whilst on holiday in Mexico.  He left a wife Jennifer, son Tony and grandchildren.

His daughter Nicola got in touch to say that her father David Stanley Twite (R50-57) had died on 30 March 2025 at the age of 85.  His funeral was held on 1 May 2025 at 1pm at The West Suffolk Crematorium, St Edmund’s Chapel Risby, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6RR.

She has sent the following tribute :

David Twite  27^th July 1939 – 30^th March 2025

Dad was born in 1939, in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. His father was a policeman, serving in the East Suffolk Constabulary, and the family home was the Police Station in Kelsale.

Dad was a child during the second world war and remembers this time and events, some of which he spoke of. The flying bomb that narrowly missed their house and walking across a fen to get to school, hearing the sirens sounding and jumping in a ditch just as a German bomber passed overhead and he was able to clearly see the tail gunner.

Dad moved a few times during childhood as his father was promoted, living in Lowestoft and then Framlingham. Whilst in Framlingham he passed his 11 plus and was eligible to go to Brandeston Hall, which at that time was a Direct Grant School. He started there in September 1950 – biking to and from school 5 miles each way 6 days a week, in all weather. He moved on to Framlingham college in 1953, attending as a day boy and was in Rendlesham House. He went on to join the sixth form in 1955 and in September 1956 was made a house prefect. This meant he had to return to school after supper at home to supervise prep for the boarders, his school day was 8.30am – 9.30pm. His sons Mark and Andrew later followed in his footsteps although attended as boarders.

At school Dad was involved in sports – rugby, football and cricket and was also a member of the CCF. During school holidays he worked as a labourer in the fields.  He left school on his 18^th birthday in 1957. His father wanted him to be a policeman but Dad wasn’t keen, so his father even tried to get his Chief Constable to persuade him – but to no avail. Instead, he went on to do an apprenticeship at GEC Coventry, training in telecommunications and was there 1957-1962.

It was whilst in Coventry he met our Mum – Pat.  In 1962 our parents were married and went to live in Bridge, Kent where they started their family, having me (Nicola) in 1966. They moved on to Chilwell, Nottingham, living there only a short time before emigrating to America. They decided to go by ship, taking the last voyage of the Queen Mary in September 1967.

In America Dad first worked in Galion, Ohio where Mark and Andrew were both born. Then in 1974 we moved to Anchorage, Alaska. In 1978, my parents made the decision to return home to England. We lived just outside Framlingham for 6 months with our grandmother before Dad got a job in Maidenhead and we moved to a village in Oxfordshire. Only a year later Dad started work overseas again, this time in Jordan. At this point Nicola and Mark went to boarding school in Suffolk, Nicola to All Hallows, Ditchingham, Mark to Framlingham College, Andrew later joined them attending Brandeston then Framlingham.

From Jordan his next job move was to Saudi Arabia and he also spent time working in Ghana. During his retirement travelling continued to be a theme with he and Mum making trips to Europe, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, America and many other places.

Dad had a keen interest in genealogy and researched the Twite family tree right back to the 1600’s. He also enjoyed gardening.

Sadly, Mum died unexpectedly in 2014.  Dad continued to keep busy in his village community of Garboldisham, going on rambles with the local walking groups, attending the Methodist chapel in the village, and joined the U3A helping with genealogy club and going to the gardening club.

In 2022 Dad finally took the big decision to move from the family home of over 40 years to a smaller flat in an independent living complex, Oxlip House, in Bury St Edmunds. It was a big adjustment for him, but he embraced his new home getting involved in activities on offer and going to the on-site restaurant for his meals every day, making new friends. Sadly, over the last few years his health had been failing with several hospital admissions, each one taking more of a toll on him. Just after Christmas he suffered a stroke and although he got back to his flat, he never really recovered and had his final hospital admission. He died on 30^th March, 2025 age 85.

We have been advised by Robert Craig (R63-70) that his good friend of nearly 60 years has died. Here is what he said :

It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of our contemporary Gordon Gibbons (R 66-71) on March 31^st of this year after a short illness. Gibbo was a good friend both at school and in adult life; we video called on a not infrequent basis, usually for a couple of hours at a time. We last met in Toronto in 2014 and we had planned to meet up again this year. Disappointingly, he called on March 17^th to inform me he’d been admitted to a hospice. I last spoke to him briefly on March 25^th and a few days later he was gone. During our conversation of the 17^th he was nothing but complimentary about the establishment, and I can tell you he was remarkably upbeat even in the face of his dire situation; no surprise to anyone who knew him.

Gibbo was an excellent sportsman. He represented Fram at Cricket (1^st XI wicket keeper and early order batsman), Rugby (1^st XV fly half), Tennis (doubles with me at Wimbledon schools and other tournaments), and he was awarded the Rendlesham square. After Fram he became a financial trader with the London branch of the Toronto Dominion bank until, and as a measure of his ability, in 1978 aged just 25 he was offered a transfer to the head office in Toronto to continue trading in Canada; an offer he accepted. Later Gibbo moved from Toronto to Tiny Township, a beach area on the Southern reaches of Georgian Bay, where he spent much of the Summers with his family on his rather large motor launch. He is survived by his wife of 44 years Lynn, their children Sasha and Christopher, and grandchildren Alexandria and Mackenzie (from Sasha and Steve).

His son Mike Walker (66-67) notified us that he died on 26 January 2025 in Blandford Grange Care Home.  He was a regular attendee of the SOF West Of England Suppers.

Please click on the link to read the full eulogy provided by Mike.

Rachel Bailey has notified us that her father passed away last Wednesday, 5 March 2025. This was following a short spell in hospital, having had a chest infection.

She says “He had the most incredible life and career, on the back of his time at Framlingham College and then at Sandhurst College. Framlingham College, has always been at the centre of his world and had left a huge foot print on his heart. When he fell recently, he said to himself “don’t just lay here Trevethick, you’re a Fram Boy, get up and get help”. Another time I witnessed, during blood tests, “just get on with it nurse, it won’t hurt, I’m a Fram Boy” the last one was, to me “I’m a Fram Boy, this won’t get me down. I’ll soon be back at Halsey House and I’ll buy everyone a beer. I might even have one myself” of course, very sadly he didn’t. We’ve heard over the years, so many wonderful stories of his time within the Fram family. I know he cherished every moment with you all.  He loved attending the functions, until he became too weak to travel very far. I know his heart ached not being able to go.”

His funeral will be on Friday 4th April 2025 at 11.00am at Cromer Crematorium, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9JJ

We have just been notified by his son that Dudley Frank Wright (K46-52) died on 14 December 2022.  He was born in Colchester and he and his father before him, owned the former butchers on Crouch Street, Frank Wright & Son.  He was a keen sportsman and member of the Colchester Golf Club.

Click on the link above to read his son’s lovely eulogy to his late father.

A private family funeral was held in January 2023.

David died peacefully at home (in the house in which he was born) on 6th February, 2025, after many years of frustrating ill health. Beloved husband to Gillian for 66 years, father of Judith and Andrew and grandfather of Charles and Eleanor, and Rebecca. A private family cremation will be followed by a Thanksgiving Service on Saturday 8th March, 12 noon at St Peter’s Church, Cockfield IP30 0LA. Family flowers only, but donations in his memory to Suffolk Community Foundation can be sent c/o W A Deacon Funeral Services, 3 Norman Way, Lavenham, CO10 9PY.

On 17 June 2017 David was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community in Cockfield, Suffolk.

We are sad to report that the OF Rifle Club’s oldest member Neil John Relton Joy (R47-51) has died 4 days before his 91^st birthday on 5 February 2025.  He had been suffering from cancer for many years.  He was a splendid, eccentric, interesting and very kind man.

His funeral will take place at the Mortlake Crematorium on 25 February 2025 at 10.40am, followed by a buffet lunch at The Bell & Crown at 11-13 Thames Road, Strand on the Green, W4 3PL.  RSVP 07415099864 or peterjoy@hotmail.fr

Below is an obituary written by Steve McDowell (G82-86) :

Neil Joy OF 1934 – 2025 (R 47-51)

 OFRC captain Steve “Train-crash” McDowell pays tribute to the club’s longest-serving member Neil “Mad Professor” Joy.

Rifle shooting at long range is an eccentric sport.

To be any good, one needs a combination of calm concentration and a childish love affair with explosions, blended with a reasonable understanding of physics and precision engineering as well as a grasp of basic meteorology.

That’s a paradox in itself, since the definition of the word ‘eccentric’ is ‘off centre’ – a result all rifle shooters strive to avoid at any cost.

It should come as no surprise then the sport has its fair share of off-kilter participants.

And few of them came more eccentric than Neil Joy, who has died after a long struggle with cancer five days short of his 91^st birthday.

Neil was well named – it was always a joy to see him turn up on the Bisley ranges for the Old Framlinghamians Rifle Club. And he always did.

In his later years he grumbled about old age, fading eyesight and increasing decrepitude, yet competition after competition there he appeared.

Always in his beloved (and also increasingly decrepit) silver Ford Capri 2.8i, which he bought new in 1983 and drove to almost his dying day – complete with 80s style Go-Faster stripes.

At the beginning of each season there would be smiles all round from the rest of us as we had a quiet guess which home-made gizmo he would produce. He was an engineer after all.

Horrified by the cost of specialist shooting eyewear, yet (like many of us) frustrated by deteriorating eyesight – he simply made his own. The origin of the giant lens he had soldered to a recycled wire frame remains unknown but it gave rise to one of the many monikers we all acquire over the years. He became known as ‘Cyclops’.

Neil was characterised by gentle humour, kindness, willingness to muck in and sheer tenacity. Even well into his 80s he would cheerfully run the butts (marking targets) for our Guest Days. A tedious and physical task, yet vital to raise funds to keep the club fiscally healthy.

Another admirable quality was his modesty. When he fired a shot he didn’t like, he would unfailingly apologise to the coach.

A few years back I was coaching him (sitting next to the shooter; reading wind, plotting his shots and making sight corrections) at 900 yards.

As usual, this rumpled figure with borrowed gear, black socks sticking out of the end of the ubiquitous shabby sandals, shuffled up to the firing point and settled down.

Neil complained that he was too erratic ‘these days’ and apologised in advance for any wild shots. But on this day he showed his class and experience of 70+ years of shooting.

He was hitting the middle, just, but keeping it in the bullseye – no mean feat for anyone given you are more than half a mile away from the target.

I was muttering words of encouragement and watching closely to keep him focussed. It was getting quite exciting.

“Sorry about out that one Steve, a bit high.” It was. But still in the bull. His sixth consecutively.

I was not prepared for the next shot, however, because as the bullet exited – so did his teeth.

Without putting the rifle down, he calmly pushed the top set back in with his thumb.

“Sorry Steve, these are new choppers, I haven’t quite got the hang of them yet.”

The shot was bang in the middle.

He dropped only one point that day, finishing with 49.2 from a maximum possible 50.10.  He took some convincing it was a genuine score too, but there was no hiding his utter joy at finally putting a great score together.

It kept him coming back for many more years.

We embarrassed him once. The Public Schools Veterans shoot at Bisley, the last of the season and a ’must’ for Neil. It’s a huge match with upwards of 50 teams of Old Boys taking part.

The tannoy burst into life announcing to more than 1000 people across a half-mile wide range that someone from Haileybury School was shooting his 60^th consecutive Veterans match. Neil said it was his 75^th. We had that announced, too.

We cheered him. Neil looked at his sandals.

Neil Joy was born in Portsmouth on 9 February 1934. His father was a Merchant Navy officer and the family (with his younger brother Kit) relocated to Singapore until the Japanese invaded in 1942 and they were evacuated to Australia.

Returning the UK in 1947, he was promptly dispatched to a bleak Rendlesham House at Framlingham College.

Unlike most of the rest of the OFRC, Neil thrived and by all accounts he was very successful. He was 1^st XV rugby, shooting captain and a scholar.

National Service in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers yielded another great Neil moment. This caused great consternation with John “Irish Imam” Halahan, himself a former REME squaddie, when he revealed he had been a 2^nd Lieutenant.

“Oh yeah,” said Halahan, “I was a corporal… and so was Hitler.”

Being an officer was most unusual for a National Serviceman but he explained that the base commander had two sons and he wanted Neil to teach them to shoot though, in order to do so, he had to accept a commission. Naturally, helpful and willing as ever, Neil obliged – for nearly two years.

A scholarship to Imperial College, London, to read Chemical Engineering followed as did a wife, Sheila, whom he met at a college dance, a long career in all kinds of engineering – including project managing the construction of the Channel Tunnel – and two sons.

Sadly Sheila, later a primary school teacher, became extremely ill with MS and Neil became her full-time carer for many years before her death in 2010.

He is survived by Gordon and Nicholas, three grandchildren; Nicholas, Peter and Marie-Guiliane and a 1983 Ford Capri.

He will be greatly missed by many, I’m sure, but the OFRC most certainly.